Prompt 3 ~ What do you see?

This prompt was inspired by my participation in the river of stones project and the act of seeing.  This post by Fiona Robyn made me wonder - Do we see things as they are?  Can we?  Are we able to let things be as they are, or do we feel a need to decorate, embellish, improve what we see, make them seem better, give them an interpretation that is perhaps not really there.  If so, why?

Anais Nin said that we don’t see the world as it is, but as we are.  So is it possible to really see “clearly”?  Buddhists might call it seeing without ego. 

Whether you believe that seeing in this way is possible or desirable, for a few moments this week, I’d like you to try it.

Sit down somewhere for a few minutes where you won’t be disturbed, preferably with a view out a window.  Or go for a walk.  For five minutes (or however long you wish), focus on what you see, whatever it might be.  Try not to be selective in your seeing.  If you see something unpleasant, don’t censor it from your thoughts.  If you see something beautiful, try not to hold on to it.  See what you see and then let it go.  Then, take a break.  Make a cup of tea or put the washing in the machine.  Then, do this:

Write about what you saw.  Write as quickly as you can without thinking, without stopping to edit or correct yourself.  This can be a piece of freewriting, a poem, a story, a list.  Whatever comes.  If it makes you feel more comfortable, give yourself a time limit.  5, 10 or 15 minutes.  It needn’t be long.

When you are finished, put your writing away.  Don’t reread it immediately.  Come back to it a day or so later and reread it then.  Do you feel that you were able to write what you saw?  Were there things you’d forgotten to mention?  Did any interpretations or assumptions creep in?  If you were to rewrite it, would you change anything?  How did you feel about the exercise?  Tell us about it.

If you'd like to share what you've written, post it on your blog and leave a comment below with your post's url.  At least one of us will come over and read it.

Thank you!